Doorstep Library has been visiting Nadiya and her family since May 2015. Visits with our volunteers, Laura and Marieka, were regular and lively, with all three children showing noticeable improvements in their reading.
“Little Hari couldn’t wait to sit on the sofa with Marieka and read today. What a turnaround! This time last year he built tunnels out of books and now he can’t wait to get stuck in with the reading.”
However, in March 2018, our volunteers learnt that Nadiya had suffered multiple leg fractures after a fall. The injury was incredibly disruptive for the entire family: Dad stopped working to look after Nadiya’s two younger siblings, whilst Mum was in the hospital with Nadiya 24/7. Dad and the two youngest were unable to have Doorstep Library reading visits during this time, as they visited the hospital every day after school. However, our volunteers continued to look for books that the children would each enjoy, posting them through their letterbox with encouraging notes to Dad that he was welcome to take the books to the hospital for Nadiya.
Six weeks later, Laura and Marieka were delighted to find the family at home for the first time since the accident. Despite being tired and in pain, Nadyia was delighted to see them again. Over the next few weeks, Laura and Marieka spent longer than usual with the family, talking at length to mum about how she was coping, as well as sharing stories with the children. At this point, mum opened up to them about the extent to which she was struggling with the intensity of Nadiya’s care needs since the accident and having to balance this with the needs of her two younger children. Through our volunteers, she reached out to Doorstep Library to ask about childcare assistance. Our Hammersmith and Fulham Project Coordinator Olivia, spoke at length with the family on the phone to see what further support the family needed. The volunteers also signposted the family to an audiobook service that Nadiya could use free of charge until she was well enough to return to school, enabling her to enjoy stories even when she was too tired from medication and pain.
Nadiya and her family continue to receive visits from Laura and Marieka. Happily, Nadiya has made a full recovery, even showing off her dance skills to the volunteers at a recent visit.
